conflicting advice on using bucket with rotary cutter

[charles todd]

my land is flat, I'm lazy and just leave my FEL on when mowing.

for a field that I had never mowed before, I'd be inclined to leave the FEL on and run it as low as I could to help find any surprises hiding in the field.

I do this when I mow for a new customer in a new field.

CT

 

[Tony H]

One dealer said leave the bucket on and run it slightly lower than the cutter to find any stumps, etc.
One dealer said leave the bucket on and run it slightly higher than the cutter to find any 'big stuff' and help with stability.
Two dealers said to take it off to help with visibility and turning.

What do you think?

I think all advise is valid. I may run the bucket on and low while mowing a new area. After I'm confident in the grounds, I might take it off for visibility

 

[anothernewbiefarmer]

One dealer said leave the bucket on and run it slightly lower than the cutter to find any stumps, etc.
One dealer said leave the bucket on and run it slightly higher than the cutter to find any 'big stuff' and help with stability.
Two dealers said to take it off to help with visibility and turning.

What do you think?

I have rocks everywhere so I leave my bucket on, curled to the heel as some have recco'd here as well and it does help me ensure i know when something is coming along I'd rather not smash my blades on. I also leave it on as i have steep slopes and i tend to drive up those forward so it balances out. Also, having the bucket on allows me to move objects out of the way - obviously turning the rotary off first - and can sometimes dig rocks out and carry them off.

 

[ismilelots]

One dealer said leave the bucket on and run it slightly lower than the cutter to find any stumps, etc.
One dealer said leave the bucket on and run it slightly higher than the cutter to find any 'big stuff' and help with stability.
Two dealers said to take it off to help with visibility and turning.

What do you think?

I always keep my bucket on and up a little. Mostly for weight (since I don't have a front weight rack) and also because I'm a procrastinator so the grasses have gone to seed by the time I cut. It helps not a lot of it down and keep it out of the grill.

 

[Mudfarmer]

I used to take the bucket off, but then mowing uphill I lost a bit of steering when the weight of the brush hog lifted the front tires a bit. Then I ran into a tree and bent a bit of sheet metal. I'd rather have the wheels on the ground and hit a tree with the bucket. Even better I don't have to bother taking the bucket off anymore. In response to another post taking the bucket off and putting on front weights seems like make-work to me.

BTW when the grass is high and in-seed, my bucket usually "harvests" a coffee can or two of seed per acre. I save that to seed in my logging roads.
Mf

 

[Williy]

So the solution is KEEP your bucket on
and save your blades

willy

 

[artf]

After one picks shed antlers out of a front tire, one runs with the bucket to find such things.

After one has had to use the FEL & bucket to pull assist the tractor in escaping wet grounds, one runs with the FEL & bucket to escape such situations.

 

[Rockbadchild]

For brush hog I like having the FEL on because I have lots of beaver stumps so I knock them down with my bucket or if there is tall brush trees I flat them down before driving over them .... for finishing mower I would probably take it off but it comes down to your personal preferences... it is pretty rare I take my FEL off most of the time I like the extra weight and I never know when I need to pick up something.

 

[JBF43]

^This. The lip of the bucket sticks out several feet beyond the front of the tractor so I can't get as close to fences. And area I mow doesn't have any obstacles sticking up so that's not a worry.

I remove the entire loader - not just the bucket. Easy enough to do with the Kubota - pull 2 pins and disconnect 4 hoses. Greatly enhanced visibility so I can see those big badger holes before I drive into them.

Not to mention that to mow ~ 50 acres with my 6' mower takes a lot of hours. Why pack around all that extra weight? Save some fuel - important at today's prices!

+1, same reasoning, plus bucket is pinned, whole loader removal is easier.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Depends on your ever changing individual situations. Bunch of limbs, bucket up. Stumps, bucket down. Muddy, loader off. Just depends.